Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister Naela Gabr said Saturday that the world society should make joint efforts to set up a new world order to deal with various crises.

Gabr made the appeal when addressing the senior officials’ meeting of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, which opened Saturday in Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

[efoods]The current world situation is quite different from 48 years ago when the NAM was founded, with increasing population, outbreaks of epidemic and deteriorating environment, she said.

The world society should reconsider the international financial system and be more democratic in decision-making so as to avoid the global financial crisis which has hampered the economic growth of developing countries, Gabr said.

She also called for restructuring of international mechanism in health and agriculture in an effort to help overcome the crises in the two areas, referring to global spread of A/H1N1 flu and rising food prices.

Senior officials from over 140 countries gathered here to work out basic documents for the coming NAM summit, which will state the movement’s stance in the current international context on major international and regional issues like the global financial crisis, the Middle East peace process, and the Iranian nuclear issue.

The NAM has played a significant role in protecting rights and interests of its member states, and Egypt, as it will be the rotating chair of the group of pan-developing countries, will endeavor to strengthen its role in the world arena, she added.

Formally founded in September 1961, NAM groups 118 member states, which represents nearly two-thirds of the United Nations’ members, particularly developing countries. It also comprises 55 percent of the world population.